Applicant has not filed any and is not aware of any pending applications by others which are directed to the subject matter of this application.
The subject matter of this application was developed solely by the named inventor and was not supported by any Federal or Independent Sponsorship.
The applicable prior art of which the applicant is aware is recited in the accompanying Prior Art Statement.
This invention relates generally to a support and lifting unit primarily for the handling of foodstuffs and for placing the same into and removing the same from cooking utensils and more specifically to a support and lifting unit for foodstuffs which will permit the thorough cooking of the same and which will provide means for elevating the same from the bottom of a cooking utensil or other support surface which lifting is assisted by a pair of handles along the spaced sides of the unit with the arms being rotatable mounted for collapsing of the unit for storage and similarly, opening into a lifting position such that lifting and transport of the food is accomplished without a person touching the food and without piercing the same with fork, knives and the like.
A lifting and support unit for transport of foodstuff which includes a plurality of spaced, longitudinally extending rods, bars or wires bounded by a continuous, formed member, providing sides and ends, to which the longitudinal members are attached. The sides of the unit are provide with pair of downwardly disposed, longitudinally spaced leg elements which serve to elevate the foodstuff above any support surface. A handle is rotatably mounted to the sides and are maintained thereon between the downwardly depending legs of the support surface. These handles are collapsible against the support surface for compact storage of the unit or may be shifted for ease of lifting of the same for moving the foodstuff.
Various racks and support units have been made for the lifting and moving of foodstuffs such that same may be transferred from one location to another including those that are used to place food into and remove food from cooking utensils. Applicant has made such units and various other, basically simple, such units are listed in the accompanying prior art statement. However, the majority of these units are of considerable bulk making them often, difficult to use and store when not in use.
Applicant provides, through this application, a very simple foodstuff lifting device which permits food handling easily, efficiently and provides a product which may be manufactured at a low cost.
It is therefore an object of the Applicant""s invention to provide a foodstuff lifting and moving unit which will elevate the foodstuff from a support surface such as the bottom of a utensil, a kitchen counter or other support surface which does not cause problems in thoroughly cooking the food and which provides handling thereof without a person touching the same nor piercing the same with knives or forks for handling.
It is a further object of the applicant""s invention to provide a foodstuff lifter which provides a pair of collapsible handles for ease of storage of the same and means for lifting the foodstuff either into or out of a cooking utensil.
It is yet a further object of the applicant""s invention to provide a foodstuff lifter having a plurality of elevating legs to hold the same above a support surface and which legs also serve as locating devices to maintain the use position of a pair of handles for lifting and shifting.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant""s foodstuff lifter will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and description of a preferred form of the invention.